Problem, market and BMC
Founder alignment • problem framing • BMC • market structure • use-case selection
Output
Commercialisation thesis • first-use-case definition • milestone contract
Working concept · For stakeholder discussion
FirstForge
Prototype to revenue for first-time technical founders
An 8-week residential accelerator for AI-native, HaaS and connected-device startups that can reach first commercial evidence with up to US$100K in milestone capital.
8 weeksResidentialUp to US$100K
The gap we are solving
India has many young builders. The hard part is turning working technology into a product customers will pay for.
01
Prototype
Technology works in a lab, demo or controlled setting. The founder can explain it, but the customer still cannot buy it with confidence.
02
Product
Reliable enough to deploy. Clear enough to use. Supported enough to maintain. Priced enough to sell.
03
Revenue
Commercial evidence: paid pilot, LOI, purchase order, deployment data or the first recurring contract.
Programme thesis
A focused accelerator for capital-light technology companies
Companies that can become revenue-generating products quickly.
Who
First-time young technical founders with prototype-stage companies.
What
AI-native software, connected hardware and Hardware-as-a-Service.
Capital logic
Up to US$100K should reach a meaningful commercial milestone.
Outcome
Customer evidence, not classroom completion.
Not designed for heavy scientific commercialisation that needs multi-year certification or large infrastructure before the first pilot.
Who should fit
Narrow enough to protect capital discipline
Broad enough to attract strong technical founders.
AI-native
AI changes product architecture, workflow or economics — not just the UI.
HaaS
Hardware bundled with recurring software, data or service revenue.
Connected devices
Small-batch manufacturable devices that can deploy within months.
Capital-light
INR 50 Lakhs to 1 Cr should fund the next value-creating milestone.
Out of scope for this model
Semiconductor fabrication New drug development Heavy manufacturing Long regulatory pathways Pure services Traditional SaaS without technical defensibility
The stakeholder bargain
Every stakeholder contributes to commercial evidence, not only visibility
Startups
Prototype, commitment, weekly milestones
Industry
Problem statements, pilot sites, budget owners
Academia
Labs, validation, faculty and IP support
Investors
Office hours, capital strategy and follow-on access
At the centre: the programme — methodology, residency, operators and governance.
Eight weeks
Commercialisation sprints, not classroom modules
A sequence of outputs that push every startup toward first revenue. Every Friday is an evidence review.
ICP and discovery
ICP • early adopter traits • customer interviews • buying committee • budget owner
Output
Evidence-based ICP • pain ranking • 3–5 design partners
MVP and productisation
Prototype vs MVP • product requirements • reliability • AI evaluation or device readiness
Output
Deployable product spec • user workflow • prioritised roadmap
Pilot design
Proof of value • success metrics • deployment plan • pilot pricing • conversion logic
Output
Pilot proposal • customer success metrics • live pilot conversations
Pricing and finance
Revenue models • HaaS economics • gross margin • working capital • customer ROI
Output
Pricing architecture • unit economics • funding assumptions
Go-to-market and sales
Founder-led sales • outreach • demos • proposals • procurement • first-ten-customer plan
Output
Sales pipeline • pilot proposals • commercial commitment movement
Legal, IP and cap table
Founder agreements • IP ownership • customer contracts • data/privacy • cap-table basics
Output
Legal hygiene • cap-table clarity • compliance checklist
Funding and proof day
Capital strategy • use of funds • milestone budgeting • investor narrative • data room
Output
18-month plan • proof-day deck • investment decision readiness
Design principle: teach only what founders must immediately apply to move the prototype toward a paying customer.
Selection and funding
Selective enough to become a strong market signal
Applications
Broad national sourcing
20–25 shortlisted
Diligence + interviews
12–15 residential
Recommended first cohort size
Up to 5 funded
INR 50 Lakhs to 1 Cr each
Recommended first cohort size: 12–15. Stronger operating intensity now makes later expansion to 20–25 credible.
Graduation outcomes
Evidence an investor, customer or partner can act on
Evidence-based ICP
MVP specification
Pilot proposal or deployment
Pricing + unit economics
Legal + cap-table hygiene
18-month operating plan
Funding narrative
90-day execution plan
The final day is Demo Day: show what changed, what customers validated and what capital will unlock next.
Founding coalition
What we need to build next
Committed industry test-beds
Academic lab partners
Founding capital pool
Operator mentors
Selection committee
Pilot + legal templates
The ambition is clear: build the institution that helps India's young technical founders cross the hardest bridge — from working prototype to working business.
Next step: align founding stakeholders around the pilot cohort, test-bed partnerships, capital pool and selection criteria.
Join the founding coalition